It was Saturday before the sun sets in August 20, 1966 at around 6 pm when I was born in our ancestral house at Poblacion, Santa Cruz, Zambales, Philippines. This was my real birthday.
My parents were Guillermo Menes Meron (41) and Teofila Montehermoso Mas (41). Both of them were naturally born and residents of Santa Cruz, Zambales.
My Three Pillars
I spent my childhood and teenage years in my home town. I treasured wonderful and beautiful memories there. My supporting father, caring aunt and loving mother served as the three pillars of my life.
Even though, the three pillars of my life were gone one at a time, still, I really missed and loved them so much. I would like to thank, appreciate and recognize them for their unconditional love; for providing me what I need; for allowing me understand what life is and knowing its purpose.
My Journey
I spent most of my adult years in Meycauayan City, Bulacan, Philippines and some few years abroad rendering essential public services. Life experiences built up stability on me; surpassing any challenges along the way to attain my goals.
My family, friends, relatives and colleagues are always there to advise and help me. Most of all, I would like to thank God for giving me life, blessings and another year; for continuously guiding me on my journey in life.
I wish for a healthy, wealthy and happy life on my birthday.
A mother who is looking and waiting for her loving mother.
What is a Mother’s Day without your loving and caring mother? Do you know that every part of a single mother worth more than a million? Let me explain its value.
Your Head
As a single mother, you used the top of your head to carry a bundle of newly harvested rice grains for meal; a bundle of firewood for cooking or a basin of Anchovy fish for selling. You also used your head to think wisely and find right solutions for the daily problems.
Your Eyes
As a single mother, you kept your eyes to your children for their safety. You used your eyes to discipline your children. Eyes that maybe big and wide; on-focus or understanding and kind-looking to your concern. Sleepless nights in times of sickness of your children just to ensure they were safe.
Your Nose
As a single mother, you used your nose if the newly laundry clothes were smelled pleasant and if the children were smelled stinky already and they need to take a bath.
Your Ears
As a single mother, you used your ears to listen to your children and grandchildren’s amazing stories. Through your ears, you heard the sound of the roosters in the early morning wherein you rise from bed instantly to fetch up water for daily consumption.
Your Mouth
As a single mother, you used your mouth to give pieces of advice to your children and grandchildren. You taught them the right things and told them to become nice and hardworking person with brighter dreams in life.
Your Shoulder
As a single mother, you used your shoulder to carry the “Buli” bag or “Pandan” bag with fruits and vegetables inside when going home after the whole-day work in the rice field.
Your Breast
As a single mother, you breastfed your young children regularly so that they will grow healthy someday and free from any kind of illnesses.
Your Heart
As a single mother, you provided unconditional love to your children and grandchildren. You have a big heart too to your parents, brother, sisters, nephews, nieces, husband and in-laws. You knew how to accept and how to forgive persons. You really loved them so much.
Your Arms
As a single mother, you used your arms to strongly uproot the rice seedlings, transplant them on rice fields and harvest the rice grains after a few months. You used your strong arms to pound and manually mill the greener rice grains up and down then filter them using “Bilao” to make it into whiter rice grains.
Your Hands
As a single mother, you used your hands to prepare “Buli” or “Pandan” fibers, weave and design them properly into a local mat for sale. You used your hands to catch fishes along the shallow river and pick up shells on the shoreline with your siblings and children. You used your hands to wash the clothes of your children and grandchildren then press these clothes after drying. You used your hand to put the wet face towel on his/her forehead when he/she has fever. You used your hands too in giving foods to the very young children and elderly people around you.
Your Waist
As a single mother, either be sunny day or rainy day, you bent your waist the whole day while planting rice seedlings on the rice fields for a little payment or non-monetized payment of your labor instead, work exchange.
Your Hips
As a single mother, you sit on your hips almost the whole night just to weave and finish intentionally the local mat so that you can sell it then later buy some foods for your children, grandchildren and sister.
Your Legs
As a single mother, you used your legs in walking distantly about two kilometers away from your home to your work place and do the same routine when going home from work place to your home. Your legs consumed all the energy reserved in walking after the whole-day work. You also walked in going to the church to attend Holy Mass with your sisters on Saturday evening regularly. You bent your knees whenever you pray.
Your Feet
As a single mother, you used your feet not only to separate the greener rice grains from its husk but also to clean up the house floor. You used your feet to stand up firmly against all tough moments that trying to bring you down but they fail. You courageously stood still and never give up.
Thus, for this special day wherein everybody celebrates the Mother’s Day and for this special occasion wherein every member of the family comes together, what is a Mother’s Day without your loving and caring mother? What is a Mother’s Day without her presence?
Thanks God, I am still alive,
Coz I have the mission to survive,
And have the human rights for life.
They need my presence and tender, loving care,
Thus, they always ready to support my basic needs.
Thanks God, I am still alive,
To breathe the fresh air and hear the sound of the wind,
To see the raindrops falling on the green leaves,
To smell the favorite foods on the table,
And ready to eat fruits and drink milk any time.
Thanks God, I am still alive.
To hear the Holy Mass every Sunday,
To strengthen my faith on Him and receive His blessings,
To glorify and praise Him because of the wonderful things,
That He had given to me including my own life.
Do you cry? How often you cry? Do you know that we cry for several reasons? Here are some types of cry that I can share with you.
Cry of Grief
Sometimes, you cry because of grief when you lost someone. You lost a person that you love most. You really missed this person. Believing that you will never see this person anymore.
Cry of Pain
Sometimes, you cry because of pain. You feel the physical pain and cannot tolerate it due to severe illness. Believing that medication is just a temporary reliever for your pain. Heartbreak and sudden separation intensifies emotional pain too.
Cry of Anger
Sometimes, you cry because of anger. You are emotionally stressed. Believing that the current situation is unjust and brings discomfort on you.
Cry of Pity
Sometimes, you cry because of pity. You feel sorry to less fortunate citizens. You feel sorry to your own family. You feel sorry to yourself too. In spite of everything you did for the best, but still, nothing happens.
Cry of Joy
Sometimes, you cry because of joy. You feel very happy for something that you received or achieved unexpectedly. It might be material or non-material things.
Cry of Faith
Sometimes, you cry because of faith. Your undeniable faith to God brings tears into your eyes. Believing that you owe everything from Him. God allows you understand it that you cry in various ways for various reasons.
The 2015 remarkable visit of Pope Francis in the Philippines brings up the real essence of Christian life in the country. The Filipino people really love him and Pope Francis also loves them too.
His Presence
When Pope came out from the airplane, he smiled to the Filipino people in the airport. His charming smiles may suggest that “Here I am.” His presence alone was so significant to the Filipino people. Every Filipino was so happy and excited to see Pope Francis in person. Everybody felt the love at the airports, on the streets, inside the churches, at the mall and university, on the park and even at homes. His presence gave blessings for the persons with physical impairments. His presence provided hope for person with ailments. Pope Francis blessed the babies, children, youths, adults and elders. His presence shows genuine concern to victims of typhoons, earthquakes and to the poor families in the Philippines.
His Message
Pope Francis delivered an awesome message in every place of his visit in the Philippines. His inspirational message deeply-derived from his heart is truly sensible and gets political, psychological, social, intellectual and spiritual impacts to every citizen of the Philippines. The Filipino people attentively listened to his relevant speeches in spite of long-hours of standing in the middle of the rain. The religious faith of the Filipinos retained and sustained regardless of natural calamities and life challenges they had been experienced in the past up to the present times. His message focused on helping the poor ones which applies the true Christian life.
His Legacy
Pope Francis builds his Christian legacy for the Filipino people. His advocacy to help especially the poor ones is absolutely amazing. He touches one’s life through his mission. He listens to anybody attentively. He speaks well with a sense of humor. He comes to you directly, hold your hands and bless you gracefully. With all your love, care and concern to us, the Filipino people would like to say “Thank you very much. God bless you, Pope Francis.”
This was my article before going to the United States of America on March 10, 2010.
December 20, 2008
MEYCAUAYAN COLLEGE ALUMNEWS
ALUMNEWS Feature DON’T JUST BE A DREAMER
“Don’t just be a dreamer……. but be a doer too.” How could you figure out a young boy who came from a broken family and very poor family who tried to overcome his own struggles in life?
My parents were already separated before I was born. I did not have a father figure in our house. We did not have any real properties. We rented the lot from our neighbor and our house is made up of light materials only and no electricity at all. I studied my lessons in a dim light of lamp. My mother, as a single parent worked so hard just to support her own family. She worked in the farm during daytime and weaved mats in the evening. She was still awake at 3 o’clock in the morning. There were times that she get unpaid from farm works and insulted publicly. It had been a number of times that our family degraded, deprived and discriminated. It was very difficult to be poor. During weekends, she sold mats and vegetables in the market. She got laundry clothes from our neighborhood when farm works were not available. We were always looking for our firewood, rice and food everyday. We did not have money even for our transport which made all of us to walk back and forth several kilometers away from poblacion to the barrio every time we went there for work. I did not have enough money when I was in the elementary and high school to support my studies. At the age of 10, I was an ice buko vendor already, carrying a box of frozen items and shouting on the streets in our hometown. I did help our family in household chores and in selling vegetables in the market. My father with his own family had physical disabilities. He had artificially-made eye due to work-related incident when he was a policeman. He had also amputated leg due to diabetes. I started to recognize my father when I was in high school when he introduced himself while we were eating in a plaza’s restaurant and when he offered help for my tuition fees in high school. I realized the hardships of my parents in raising our family; putting up things together and solving various problems. However, I retained myself in the first section of the class since elementary up to high school. I participated in some extra-curricular activities in the school.
After graduation in high school, I cried when I could not continue my studies in college because my father got sick already and my mother could no longer support me. I remembered when she said one time, “Just cut my body into pieces and sell it” “So that you have something to support for your studies” She was crying too. I cried because I got 92% general average in National College Entrance Examination but I could not enroll in college. All my classmates in the first section would go to college for the coming year. First, I took up a free 6-month training of typing course which was sponsored by the Roman Catholic Church. In the afternoon, I did tutoring to graders in exchange of “sweet potatoes” as snacks and little amount of money from our neighborhood. Besides, I had to take good care of our vegetable garden so that we have something to eat. After graduation in the vocational course, that was the time that I should look for a better job that can provide our daily needs. But there was another problem, how could I leave my 75 year-old aunt who stayed in our house for several years to help my mother in raising our family and she had never been married. I took good care my aunt since she got an illness. Do I take good care my physically-ill aunt through her entire life or to pursue my plans in life? It was a very difficult decision.
At last, I decided to look for a job. I just my visited my aunt once or twice a year. I had been a houseboy then a fresh meat, fish, and vegetable pushcart vendor in Meycauayan City then a cigarette, candies and plastic market vendor in Olongapo City then a gasoline boy in Zambales then a factory worker of school supplies in Novaliches and finally, a textile worker in Meycauayan City. When I obtained my regular appointment, that was the time that I have to start my plans again. While working in the textile, I did enroll in Meycauayan College. I never forgot to support our family in terms of financial assistance even I was studying while working. Meycauayan College was the nearest college wherein convenient for me in terms of financial matters, distance travel and time management. This was the institution I thought that can give me a college diploma and a quality education. My expectation was really true. Even I would like to take medicine course that time but I did not have huge amount of money for the said course. Thus, I selected Biology as my major in Education. I took Education course because I want to share my knowledge to everybody.
During my college days, I performed well academically with a general weighted average of 1.78. It so happened that I was a working student then and I believed that it could be better and higher if I am just a full-time student. Despite of these, I participated in certain college activities such as impromptu speech, singing contest, been a member of a dance troupe and a contributor in the college paper. In fact, our group was the champion in the Group Pantomime Competition.
It was February 1991 when the factory wherein I was employed had been closed due to labor strike. I went back into selling cooked food in one corner of a well-known subdivision in Meycauayan just to support my last semester of study before graduation. I just borrowed monies for my jeepney fare so that I can attend the graduation ceremony together with my mother. When I stepped on the stage, I could not even stretch my legs because I am so hungry that time. I felt physically weak. My beloved mother witnessed my graduation at last in 1991.
I tried to apply for a teaching position after graduation but most private schools offered me lower salaries which were half lower salary from a textile factory where I lastly employed. One day, a friend encouraged me to apply as waiter in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia because I had a part-time job experience as waiter in an exclusive hotel in Manila. Luckily, I was hired but for the first two months abroad, I was a merchandiser in a supermarket wherein I have to lift up heavy items in a dump truck then downloading these again. I did these tasks three times a day in a 12-hour basis of work time. Again, I was not used to it. I felt so weak. The store managers could not understand the English language. They shouted and said bad words to me every time I could not carry heavy loads but I ignored it. They allowed me to transfer in a restaurant when there was somebody newly arrived from the Philippines. After I served as janitor in a Filipino restaurant then I became waiter for more than three years then a cashier/waiter wherein one of my tasks was to supervise the operation of the restaurant.
When I arrived here in the Philippines in 1994, I prepared for the Professional Board Examination for Teachers; Career Service Professional Examination which both I took in 1995. Luckily, I passed the two professional exams. In the same year, I started to practice my profession as elementary and high school teacher in a private school. While teaching in a private school, I pursued my graduate study in Manila for two years until I passed the Comprehensive Examination. I lacked just one subject which is thesis writing to finish the degree. After four years of employment, I transferred to a public school here in Meycauayan City. I had been employed also as part-time college instructor here in Meycauayan College, my alma mater, and in a public college here in Meycauayan City. Within thirteen years of continuous service in both private and public institutions, I did share all my skills and expertise to elementary, high school and college students. I did participate with my colleagues and school heads in any assigned tasks to improve the quality of education in our school. For professional growth, I attended various seminars, trainings and workshops. I tried also to contribute articles for science magazines of a publishing company here in Meycauayan City.
Last year, I passed the Praxis II Exam with a higher score. This was a professional examination given to any professional teachers in the world conducted by a licensing agency of United States of America for teacher certification. To sum up, I passed already four major professional examinations which I did not expect to happen when I was still a kid. The history repeats itself, now that I am applying for a teaching position abroad. I passed already the interview and I completed already the required documents. My only problem at present is the processing and placement fees. That is why I ask the Lord to give me some signs. My 84-year old mother wants me to stay here in the Philippines. According to her, she is now very old. It hurts me every time she says that statement and every time I say goodbye to her. My mother also said that I have already job here so why I should go so far. I love my mother so much but I want also to improve my life and the lives of our family better. It is a very difficult decision again. Would I stay to take good care of my mother and the rest of my family or to follow the next plan? I am asking for several signs to God for my next decision in life.
However, I would like to widen my horizon and to continuously do public service here and abroad. Always remember: “Do what is right in order to be good rather than do what is good in order to be right.” “Not all good things are right but all right things are good.”
Our birthday is one of the most celebrated events in our life. We give thanks to the Almighty God who had given us life. We do acknowledge our loving family who had raised up and guided us to become good citizens of the world. We appreciate the presence of our friends, neighbors, co-workers and relatives for their wonderful supports in times of urgent needs. Some people enumerate their birthday wishes as follows:
Good Health
Most people wish that they get maintain good health on their birthday and to the rest of their lives. How can you determine the taste of delicious birthday foods if you cannot eat them anymore because you are severely sicked? How can you feel the joy of having a birthday party if you cannot sing or dance with your guests anymore? People should stay fit all the time so that they can do wholesome activities which they want to do.
Better Income or Profits
Most people wish that they get better job or business venture to increase their income or profits. How can you treat yourself and your family on your birthday if your individual income goes from paycheck to paycheck only? How can you expand your business if you have limited resources to run your business? For economic reasons, people should look for a better job or business opportunity wherein it may bring them into a higher income or generate more profits in order to meet their daily needs. They want to save their money for long-term use.
Best Family
Most people wish their own family to be the best. How can your family live peacefully and happily together if some members of your family are fighting to one another for some reasons? How can your family be united if some family members are separated from each other by distance, wealth, life principles, faith, values, attitude, work, crimes and death? Anybody in the family wants their extended family to be the best family in the world with flourishing joy, contentment, respect, hope, love and care.
Therefore, whether you have a birthday party or not, just pray that these birthday wishes will push true with God’s guidance, friends and family’s supports and your positive attitude about life.
Renato Mas Meron
Hands-on 